Safe Speed Forums

The French motorcycle Gendarmes are fed up ! They are fed up because they have been ordered to come down very hard on speeding motorcyclists. Since the French motorcycle cop is first a biker, second a cop, they are objecting. They are after all being ordered to come down hard on their brothers and sisters....

Gendarmes are part of the military, so they are not allowed to go on strike (which is what you'd normally do in France), so they've taken a different approach.

Called "Operation Prevention", instead of handing out speeding fines for speeds less than 20 kph over the limit, they will now hand you a warning (and possibly a lecture). They do not think that 20 kph over the speed limit is dangerous, and since they don't like being given quotas, they've decided to takes this approach. The action has been endorsed by their union, the UNSA-Police. Their union stated that they are not tax collectors, but police officers ! They want to have their old image back, that of "angels of the road".

An estimated 70% of motorcycle cops are taking part in the operation.